Car-coupling



(No Model.)

L. D. MURPHY.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 371,618. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

//V E/VTO/P ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES. fz'dzd 7 5 NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECI'PTCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,618, dated October18, 1887.

Application filed December 15, 1886. Serial No. 221,!320. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LIvY D. MURPHY, of Blue Springs, Jackson county,State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Oouplings, of which the following is a full, clear,and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates to a car-coupling that is provided with a swingingpin; and it may be said to consist in the devices and the combinationand arrangement of devices hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the manner of carryingout the invention, Figure l is a perspective view of the end of a carhaving my improved coupling attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection through the draw-head, and showing the swinging pin in itsnormal position before the link has been inserted. Fig. 3 is asimilarsection showing the pin in the act of engaging the link to make acoupling; and Fig. 4 is a detail view, enlarged, showing one edge of thepin and the front side thereof, respectively.

Referring again to the drawings, the drawhead A is connected andattached to the car 0 in the usual manner; but the flared opening 10 forthe link is made deeper than it is in an ordinary coupling,to admit ofanextra long link, such as 0, being used, and it is provided with aprojection, 12, near its open end, which is engaged by the lower end ofthe pin-B after a coupling has been made and after the strain comes onthe link. Vith this construction it is clear that a much shorter pin canbe used, as in the absence of the projection 12 on the lower surface ofthe link-opening 10 a pin having sufficient length to reach down to thelower surface of the outside of the draw-head would (to afford thenecessary bearing-surface) have to be provided. As it is, the pin B canbe made so short that its lower end need not project much below theplane of the lower surface ofthe link-opening, and thereby permit of avery short slot, 0, being provided in the under side of draw-head A.

Draw-head A is provided with a longitudinal slot, 0, on its under sidefor the lower end of the pin to swing in, and said slot extends throughthe wall of the draw-head and opens on the under surface thereof, whichlatter pro;

vision will allow all dirt or rubbish to drop out of the chamber 10.Said draw-head is also provided with a rectangular opening, 0, onitsupper side, corresponding in size to the dimensions of the lower end ofthe pin 13, and

pin B are preferably formed integral with thebody of the pin, which maybe done in any desired way, and the operation of fastening said pin inthe draw-head is as follows: The lower end of the pin is first made toengage the opening 0 while the projections 5 are in a line that islongitudinal to the body of the draw-headt-hat is, the pin is turnedsidewise, as shown in Fig. 4. Then, after the said projections have beeninserted so far as to become disengaged from the sides of the opening,the pin may be turned around about a halfrevolution,when it cannot bewithdrawn without turning sidewise again. The opening 0 is also madewith its front side inclined toward the link-opening, or rather beveleddownwardly and forward, so as to allow the pin to be pulled a littleforward when raised,so that its lower end becomes disengaged from theprojection b, thereby permitting said pin to be more easily withdrawnand disengaged from the link in uncoupling when a strain is on thedraw-head.

The pin B is made square at its lower end, and also at the point that isimmediately below the shoulder 4,which rests upon the upper surface ofthe draw-head when the pin is in a coupled position, and it is providedwith a round portion intermediate of the two square portions forengaging the link without generating as much friction as would begenerated were the entire body of the pin rectangular in cross section.The number 12 indicates said round portion. The front side of the headof the pin B is provided with a recess, 13,which is adapted to engagewith the front upper corner of the opening 0 when a coupling is beingmade, thereby permitting said pin to have more backward swing than itotherwise would have and causing the coupling to be more'certain ofaccomplishment.

Extending upward from the pin B and secured to its head by means of aring, or in any desired way, is the pin-operating rod 3,the upper end ofwhich is provided with a suitable hand-piece, 1, and which is looselysecured to the end of the car O,so as to be raised a sufficient distancebythebearing-piece a or other suitable device. Crossbars 2 are securedto the rod 3 at a convenient height thereon and extend out to each sideof the car, so that the pin may be manipulated from the ground.

It will be observed that the link 0 is somewhat longer than links of theordinary construction, and that it is provided with flatsurfaced ends.By this construction the link will reach farther back in the chamberldwhen the pin is in place, and its ends will therefore be able toengage the upper surface of said chamber some distance back of the pin,and the link being thus fulcrumed at the front end of the chamber 10,and with its rear end engaging the upper surface of said chamber, itshould be obvious that the free end of the link will not drop down sofar as it would if its ends were devoid of the flat surfaces orextensions before described, and that said free coupling. Of coursethese recesses may be V-shaped, if desired.

The operation of the invention may be described as follows: WVhen theend of the link 0 strikes the pin B when the latter is in the positionshown in Fig. 2, the lower end of the pin will be swung inward until itbecomes disengaged from the link, and then gravity will be used with thecar-coupling herein shown,

and the operation of the invention will'not thereby be substantiallydeparted from.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The draw-head A,provided with rectangular opening 0, corresponding in size to the lowerend of the pin, in combination with the pin B, having oppositeprojections 5 on its lower end, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a carcoupler, the pin B, made square at its lower end and at apoint immediately below its head, and with a round portion locatedintermediate of the square portions, for the purpose substantially asdescribed.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of the pin, the pin-operating rod3,loosely connected to the head of the pin, and the cross-bars 2,rigidly secured to the said rod and extending toward the respectivesides of the car, substantially as herein described.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination of the pin, the pin-operating rod3,1oosely connected LIVY D. MURPHY.

\Vitnesses:

D. OoLLARD, Josnrn S. STROTHER.

